Stephen M. Kramarsky

Phone: (212) 943-9000 x 104

Fax: (212) 943-4325

Steve Kramarsky is a commercial litigator whose practice includes litigation in state and federal courts, as well as arbitrations and mediations before FINRA, JAMS, the AAA and other domestic and international tribunals. Steve also advises clients on complex issues arising in the litigation and transactional context, with a particular focus on technology, complex financial instruments, intellectual property and employment matters.

Steve has extensive experience representing clients in the financial services industry. He regularly practices before financial industry arbitral panels and represents clients in related state and federal court actions: in the past year he has successfully tried several arbitrations involving matters ranging from claims for additional compensation to breach of fiduciary duties. His practice also often includes injunctive proceedings in the state and federal courts arising from his clients’ trade secret or employment issues, and Steve is a recognized authority on interpretation and enforcement of post-employment restrictions. He has also litigated different cases involving alleged violations of state and federal securities laws and breach of contractual obligations, including cases involving credit derivatives, defaults under loan and other documents, and indemnification disputes.

Steve also has an active intellectual property practice: he regularly handles copyright disputes and litigation, as well as trade secret and trademark matters. More broadly, Steve has been at the forefront of the rise of technological issues in the practice of law, and has written extensively and taught CLE courses on issues of electronic discovery and document management for large organizations in the litigation context. He also writes a regular technology law column for the New York Law Journal. Steve was recognized as an Elite Boutique Trailblazer by the National Law Journal in 2019. Steve was named to New York Super Lawyers in 2021-2023 and is recommended for Business Litigation, Employment Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation and Securities Litigation.

Before resuming private practice, Steve served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Applications Development of the Gryphon Group LLC, an internet company based in New York City. At Gryphon, Steve was responsible for all legal aspects of the corporation’s business during its growth from a start-up to a 25-employee organization.

Steve began his career as a litigation associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where he worked on antitrust matters, bankruptcy cases and telecommunications litigation.

Recent cases Steve has handled include:

Representing the former CEO of a financial services company, Steve secured a substantial recovery without filing a claim;
Representing one of a number of hedge funds, Steve won dismissal of a multi-billion dollar civil RICO case based on allegations relating to short-selling, believed to be the largest such case ever filed;
Representing a large financial institution, Steve won a full defense verdict after an extensive arbitration hearing in a multi-million dollar compensation case;
Representing an insurance company, Steve won a motion to dismiss all claims of a former employee for unpaid deferred compensation;
Representing a telecommunications company, Steve secured a mandatory injunction compelling an ISP to provide details about an anonymous blogger and subsequently succeeded in negotiating the shut-down of the defamatory blog;
Representing management of an internet company, Steve won dismissal of claims that an investor had ownership rights in the company’s technology; and
As part of a DPK team representing a telecommunications networking company through all phases of its appeals through the First Department and New York Court of Appeals, Steve won a motion to dismiss all claims for alleged breach of a settlement agreement.

Education

J.D. University of Chicago Law School, 1993

Editor, Chicago Law Review
B.A. Cornell University, 1989

Admissions

New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky llp